Council presses staff on pedestrian bridges, crosswalks, Wi‑Fi and a draft ban on hostile architecture

Morgantown councilors spent a substantial portion of the June 30 work session on enhanced interconnectivity — bridges, crosswalks, trail connections, lighting, digital wayfinding and public‑space design.

Megan, a city staff presenter, gave a construction update on the Greenmont pedestrian bridge near Essie’s and the adjacent pump‑track project. “We are under submittal review. We are in revise and resubmit of the structural calculations… Green River Group was awarded the contract. They are estimated to be on site kind of towards like the end of July to do the concrete abutments… once we approve the bridge middle, it's about 10 weeksish lead time on it. So, we're looking about sometime in September to get the bridge set there,” she said.

Council also discussed a slope/slide below the public safety building tied to drainage pipe routing. Staff reported that MUB completed dye testing of pipes to trace flows and that the parking authority and engineers are coordinating next steps; staff emphasized there is no definitive repair timeline because drainage fixes must precede slope remediation.

Members identified high‑priority pedestrian safety needs across the city: more crosswalks at key neighborhood connections to Route 7 near Merilla Park, improved crossings along University Avenue near campus, blinking or rapid‑flashing beacons at school crossings, and more pedestrian‑scale lighting. Councilors repeatedly urged low‑cost, near‑term fixes such as painted or thermoplastic crosswalks and solar‑powered blinking lights where feasible. One councilor noted the DO consultant’s recommendations on vulnerable‑user intersections were limited to paint and signage rather than heavy engineering, and members encouraged staff to pursue short‑term measures while including larger projects in the CIP and budget planning.

Digital connectivity and wayfinding drew significant attention. Councilors proposed a stronger visitors web presence, QR‑enabled wayfinding signs (“blank minute walk to…”) and exploring fixed public Wi‑Fi in downtown and the Warf District, possibly through partnerships with private providers or the university. Staff confirmed university Wi‑Fi coverage on campus and suggested a hub or coordinated digital presence could route visitors to city resources.

Public‑space design and street furniture were another focus. A councilor circulated a draft resolution to halt installation of future hostile architecture (bench and street‑furniture designs intended to deter sitting or sleeping) and asked for two co‑sponsors to bring it to an agenda. Members discussed coupling a resolution encouraging more benches, bike racks and social furniture with a policy discussion about hostile features; some members worried about the timing of amending an already‑posted agenda during a holiday week and asked for time to review staff impacts.

Budget and next steps: staff said larger bridge or trail projects require CIP or grant funding (an Eastern Avenue trail bridge has tentative design but no construction budget). Council asked staff to prepare prioritization materials that include feasibility, maintenance, and budget consequences and to return with actionable options for low‑cost safety measures.

What’s next: Staff will follow up on drainage safety, finalize the Greenmont bridge schedule, prepare prioritized crosswalk/light options for council consideration and advise on whether the hostile‑architecture resolution can be placed on an imminent agenda.